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Get Over Yourself! Your Marketing Should NOT Be About You

April 10, 2012 -
Blog

By Angela Leavitt

If there’s one thing I wish I could get across to the telecom agents and companies we work with regarding their marketing strategies, it’s this: Your messaging should not be about YOU! The whole “me, me, me" tactic is so 2009, and marketing has evolved very quickly past that stage.

So what should you talk about? Your customer? Well, yes, but it goes deeper than that. You must discover your target customer’s deepest pain points, and then provide valuable content addressing those pain points. In other words, you need to become your prospect’s problem solver and go-to guy or gal.

Why? Because that is how business is being done today. People are researching on the Web the minute they have a question, and if you are out there providing great answers, you are in position to win their trust now and their business when they are ready to buy.

Back in December, I went on a few dates with a guy who was the epitome of old-school marketing messaging. He was constantly trying to “sell" himself to me, telling me what a great person he was, how clean he keeps his house, how many friends he has. He was fun, but after about the third date I realized I knew all kinds of random things about him, but he knew nothing about me, simply because he hadn’t bothered to ask me any questions.

Needless to say, I quickly grew bored and tired of hearing how great he was all the time. Rule No. 1 in dating (for the guy) is to get the girl to open up and talk about herself, and marketing is no different. If you can get the attention off you and focus on your customers’ needs, doubts and desires, you’re in.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place to sell yourself. But the first few interactions a prospect has with your company should be all about them.

It sounds so simple, yet few companies implement this strategy effectively – perhaps because it does require more time for up-front research and content development and more creativity in distribution. But the payoff is so worth it.

Over the next few blogs, I will address exactly HOW you go about doing this from start to finish. In the meantime, keep in mind as you’re crafting your next email, blog or newsletter: It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM!

Angela Leavitt is the chief mojo-making officer for Mojo Marketing. With more than 10 years of experience in sales and marketing, and five years in the telecom channel, Angela helps telecom companies design and execute effective strategies for social media, PR, branding, Web development and more.